Infant calming: Top 3 categories ranked
Input to the feet falls under the second “S” in SMS!
When you’re up at all hours of the day and night trying to get your infant to chill, remember this: SMS!
Nope, not referring to text messaging here.
In order from the MOST effective to…well, still very effective, here are the three categories of strategies to try, especially with infants until about 3-4 months old:
Sucking: The mouth is the most regulating & organizing sensory organ; The mouth and tongue are the center of development. It’s regulating to have the tongue stimulate the incisive foramen (a small hole, covered in tissues of course, at the top of the mouth) where several cranial nerves come through. I like to think of it like the “calm button.” You can find it if you turn you thumb up and slide it just behind your two front teeth. It gets stimulated with sucking. Whether a nipple, clean finger, gloved finger or pacifier (Note: pacifiers are complicated, reach out for specific information on this) - it all stimulates this “calm button” in the mouth.
Movement: Movement in the womb was calming (remember when baby would sleep while you were walking around during the day, but then wake up when you sat down or tried to relax in bed?) and regulating. When babies arrive earthside, similar movements can calm them as well. Linear movement (up and down, left to right, front to back) is the most regulating (as opposed to rotary, or spinning). Make sure to use movement and then stop when baby stops crying; then start again if they start. Provide just enough input, not too much as this can be disorganizing. Consider using a physioball; just be careful you don’t get stuck bouncing and bouncing all night; remember to stop when baby stops crying or calms down.
Skin: Our skin is our largest organ. Infants are used to having a lot of deep, firm input to their skin and joint receptors from being curled up and pushing against the uterine walls. You can help them get this feeling on land with skin to skin, certain carrying positions and applying pressure into the feet.
For more information and details on 7 specific strategies in the Sucking, Movement and Skin input categories, check out the Instagram Live I did with OT Amma by clicking here: Instagram Live: 7 Calming Strategies.
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